An article on cooking tips and tricks is the perfect follow-up for last week’s posting on simplified recipes. The only thing better than a recipe modified to make kitchen time more comfortable is finding cooking tips and tricks to make the preparation and/or clean-up easier as well. So here are 25 ideas dedicated to that noble purpose for all you people, like me, who believe, perhaps not in building better mousetraps, but love finding and using them.

I have written other posts on cooking tips and tricks, and had intended to continue them on a regular basis. I did write several but then other subjects popped-up, and well, it’s been awhile. I promise to do better in the future. Meanwhile, you can check out my previous postings in the Archive Section under Jan. 5, 2012, Mar. 22, 2012, July 9, 2012, June 30, 2013, Oct. 20, 2013 and Apr. 16, 2016. There’s some good stuff there!

Microwave Tricks

1) Roasting Garlic
Years ago, I had a terra cotta garlic roaster. It resembled an upside-down beehive on a saucer. I loved it because it made roasting garlic a quick, one-step process. Unfortunately, it was a casualty of a move and I couldn’t find a replacement but I improvised. I bought a 3 inch, unglazed clay flower pot with matching saucer, then trimmed a cork to fill 2/3 of the drainage hole. And it works perfectly.
Cut the top 1/3 off a blub of garlic to expose cloves and remove dry skin. Put it on the saucer and spoon over 1Tbs.oil, place pot upside-down over garlic and microwave on high 1 min. For lesser powered oven an extra minute may be needed. By replacing the cork with a plug of foil, this roaster also works in a conventional oven at 350 deg. for 1 hr.

2) Microwave ‘Fried’ Eggs
Separate egg without breaking yoke. If this is a problem, break the egg over a slotted spoon* and let the white drip through to a lightly greased microwavable plate or mold. Gently slide yoke into a custard cup or small container. Microwave the white 1 min.-it will form a well in the center. Slide the yolk onto the center of the white and carefully prick the skin with a knife or skewer pointer. Cover with a paper towel and microwave 1 min. more. Let sit to ‘set’ 30 sec. If not firm enough microwave 15 sec. More.

3)*Separating eggs this way is a tip as well.

4) Thawing a Piece of Meat
Microwave thawing can result in tough, even partially cooked meat. Bring a container of water to the boil in the microwave and immerse the meat, still in plastic wrap. If it isn’t thawed enough to work with by the time the water cools, repeat. But only once or the meat might cook a bit.

Freezer Tricks

5) Storing Tomato Paste and Fresh Ginger
The freezer is best for these items. Open the tomato can at both ends and use one of the ends to push the past out in a roll onto a piece of plastic wrap. Frozen it keeps indefinitely and can be sliced into the desired amounts.
Fresh ginger keeps well for several months frozen in plastic wrap and a bag. Frozen, it can be easily peeled and grated.

6) Ice Cubes Keep Herbs, Sauces, Wine Flavorings
Ice cubes capacity is 2 Tbs. and make excellent containers to freeze and store flavorings. Fill them with chopped herbs and a little water and they are easily added, frozen, to cooking dishes. The same is true of leftover sauces, wine and other small amounts of taste enhancers, like broth coconut or condensed milk.

7) Frost Cakes Easier
Lightly freeze a cooled, freshly baked cake. It prevents crumbs from mixing in with the icing.

8) Slicing Meat
To easily and neatly cut thin slices from a piece of meat, or to chop it, like bacon, for cooking, freeze it slightly first to firm it up.

9) Marinating Meat
Trim the meat and freeze it with marinade in a plastic bag. The time taken in freezing and thawing equals the time required to marinade. A great time-saver.

Cutting Tips

10) Chopping Herbs
If your knife skills aren’t up to chiffonade or you only want a course chop, put the leaves of the herbs in a glass and snip them with a scissors.

11) Chopping Nuts
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12) *Toasting also brings out the flavors in spices, but instead of pulling out a skillet to wash, spread them on a piece of foil in a toaster oven at 250 deg. Warning, watch them closely because they only take a few minutes and can burn easily.

Knife Care
13) Always hone knives on the steel rod in the knife set–for all knives on a regular basis, but especially before and after any major knife work. It doesn’t sharpen the blade but it keeps the paper thin edge aligned so that it cuts evenly rendering clean slices. Hold the wide end of the knife blade at a 15 deg. angel against the rod and draw it down with even pressure so the entire edge has touched the steel. Reverse the action to hone the other side of the blade and repeat a few times.

14) Never use the sharp side of the blade except to cut. To clean a surface or sweep cuttings into a container, flip the knife and use the opposite edge. Don’t cut on hard surfaces like stone or glass and avoid using the dishwasher. These actions blunt knife edges.

Banishing Odors

15) From Hands: Lemon juice followed by soap and water works for onions. For Garlic, rub stainless steel a spoon, bowl or pan, then wash with soap and water.

16) From Equipment: Stick to glass and steel when working with pungent items and wash as soon as finished. This holds for pots and pans too. If an odor lingers including on counter tops, wipe with lemon juice or a paste of baking soda and water. To remove odors from plastic containers, seal a wad of newspaper in it for a few days.

17) From the Fridge: The standard cure is an open box of baking soda changed every 3 months. Other solutions are an open can of coffee grounds, charcoal or a wad of cotton soaked in vanilla extract.

18) From a Room: A baking sheet scattered with baking soda on a table or a stick of cinnamon simmering in water. Of course you can always bake a pie or cake….

19) From a Drain or Garbage Disposal: A lemon usually cures the disposal problem. For a stubborn drain pour 1 cup baking soda mixed with 1 cup salt down the drain and follow with 1-2 quarts boiling water.

20) For Sinks–Wipe with bleach soaked paper towels.

Cooking Tips

21) Vinegar is a wonderful way to add that missing bit of zing to sauces, gravies, soups, especially the commercial condensed ones and even baked goods like fruit pies. The amount and type of vinegar depends on the dish to be flavored and your taste, but it works every time.

22) Save the pickle juice after the pickles are gone. It’s a great flavoring agent for salad dressings or tomato dishes. Try a little of the dill juice with sour cream and mayo as a topping for poached salmon or dip for shrimp.

23) Pineapple isn’t just a tasty fruit. It contains bromelain* which breaks down protein and tenderizes meat. Add some juice to a marinade or chill thin slices between tough cuts of meat for 1 hr. before cooking. Do not allow pineapple to sit with fish or shrimp over 30 min. or they become mushy.

24) *Bromelain enzyme prevents gelatin from setting and is the reason pineapple isn’t recommended for molds. The problem disappears if the fruit or juice is heated before being added.

25) Stir pesto to taste into ricotta cheese to make a sauce for cold pasta or for quick ravioli: To Make Ravioli: Lay won ton wrappers out on a board or counter. For smaller ravioli, place1 tsp. of filling off center on the wrap and wetting the edges, fold over and press to seal. For large ravioli, place 1 Tbs. filling in the center of the wrap, cover with a second and wetting the edges seal. Drop raviolis into boiling water without crowding. As soon as they rise to the top, they’re done. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon, keeping separate. When all are finished, layer in a dish with melted butter and top with grated Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.